Pittsburgh Penguins 2012 Deadline Trade Rumors

We will keep updating this until the trade deadline: February 26th, 2012

Here we go again, the trade rumors are circling and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been brought up again over and over mostly mentioning the Penguins picking up rental players. Click Here for info on: Pittsburgh Penguins Cap Space

Tim Lucarelli – DobberHockey – “a look at some potential movers… Steve Sullivan, LW, Pittsburgh – Sullivan is one player who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations (scoring just less than one point every two games), but he also has not had the benefit of playing with both Crosby and Malkin in the lineup all season. Pittsburgh seems to be one of those teams that can win games with just about anybody in the lineup, so Sullivan and his $1.5M salary are certainly going to be expendable. A new home could certainly spark the aging veteran.”

Dave Molinari – Post-Gazette – “Of course, there isn’t exactly a glut of goal-scoring wingers being shopped at the moment, and the ones who are haven’t exactly been marked down for quick sale. To this point, it has been very much a seller’s market, mostly because so few clubs have been willing to write off the season. There’s also another factor that could influence whether Shero makes an impact move: With the 2012 entry draft scheduled for Consol Energy Center, the Penguins likely are reluctant to part with their first-round draft choice.” Read More: On the Penguins: The deadline and Ray Shero

*Krundles Thoughts: Things are slow on the rumor front for Pittsburgh, way slower than I’ve seen in years. This could be a good thing. If there are no names being talked about, most likely Sidney Crosby is expected to return. Ryan Malone (read more on him below) didn’t make much of a case for himself on Saturday. His horrible play actually managed to make a case against picking him up. Malone’s salary next year goes down to $3 million, but his cap his is still a whopping $4.5 million. Since we play Columbus today I image a few rumors will surface later this afternoon

* Our annual trade page will be running tomorrow from 9am until 5pm that we will update the minute we hear anything. It will have rumors and actual Pittsburgh Penguins trades of new and former Penguins.

—————- February 24th, 2012

Eklund – HockeyBuzz.com – On Ryan Malone… Hearing the Penguins are seriously interested in Ryan Malone and just need to figure out the Cap hit and to the best they can decipher what this season holds for Crosby. It is quite the bind the Pens are in, but as I wrote previously, the only team Malone would waive his No trade to play for would be Pittsburgh…and the Pens really want him. He would be a great fit right now going into the playoffs.

* Dunlops Thoughts –Ryan Malone would be a huge asset to the Penguins. I think he adds a much needed physical presence in front of the net, he can add some scoring and (maybe most importantly) he can contribute to the team’s chemistry. There are some issues, however. He has had some injury issues and his cap hit is a problem. ($4.5 mil) I loved him when he was here and I would love to see him back here again……Very interesting.

—————- February 23rd, 2012

Dejan Kovacevic – TRIB REVIEW – “The concept of showcasing for trades in sports is way overblown. Tangradi was playing in full view of the public in Wilkes-Barre and, while that’s not facing NHL competition, the traits scouts want to see (skating, shooting, vision) all are on display there. Plain and simple, Tangradi is a lousy fit for the Penguins. If you can’t skate, you can’t play in a Dan Bylsma system. Tangradi is not a great skater, and there’s little use beyond that for a really big forward who stickhandles a lot.”

Dave Lozo – NHL.com – “No one, not even GM Ray Shero, seems to know if Sidney Crosby will return this season. If Shero does know, he hasn’t told anyone. Crosby’s unknown status puts him in a sticky predicament in the coming days: if he feels Crosby will be back for the postseason, that’s better than any move anyone will make at the deadline, but if he feels Crosby won’t return, what will he do to improve his team? Even without Crosby, the Penguins have what it takes to win a championship, so it’s not as though the walls are closing in on Shero. He can stand pat and still win a Cup. But he’ll likely feel the need to make a minor move to give Evgeni Malkin and James Neal some support. Everything revolves around Crosby in Pittsburgh, but Shero shouldn’t feel desperate to make magic happen with a trade. ”

—————- February 22nd, 2012

Shelly Anderson – POST-GAZETTE – “Tangradi entered the game Tuesday night against the New York Rangers at Consol Energy Center with no points in 12 NHL games over three previous promotions this season. In 16 games over the previous two seasons, he had one goal, three assists. He has 15 goals, 31 points in 37 games for Wilkes-Barre this season. There seems to be some sentiment that the left winger could be trade bait because he hasn’t developed into the full-time NHL power forward envisioned by the club when it acquired him in a February 2009 trade with Anaheim or that he might interest a team that can fit him into its top two lines.” Read More: “Tangradi hopes he won’t be trade bait”

*Krundles Thoughts: Could a big trade be brewing? Tangradi was called up out of the blue on a day that Columbus who may or may not be doing a team overhaul had their scouts in town including ex-Penguins GM Craig Patrick. Tangradi played even though the Penguins had a healthy scratched player ready and waiting. Columbus also had scouts at the Penguins vs Flyers game last week and the Penguins are the last game Columbus plays before the trade deadline on Monday. Penguins & the Blue Jackets have already made a trade this year if you remember Letetsu being traded for a fourth round pick in November. *Columbus may be interested in a defenseman. They have more goals against than any other team in the NHL. Could the Pens be packaging a Martin, Tangradi and/or others for a Nash, Carter or Umberger?

—————- February 21st, 2012

Alan Robinson – Winnipeg Free Press – “The Penguins possess some potentially attractive pieces to move should they unexpectedly shift gears and decide to swing a deal. Defenceman Paul Martin, who has struggled to adapt to Bylsma’s system since being signed more than 18 months ago and was minus-11 ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, is a potential trade candidate. So is defenceman Zbynek Michalek, who doesn’t totally look comfortable in the Penguins system either. The downside is trading either one would leave the Penguins without one of their top four defencemen and might weaken a team that has overachieved for a second straight season.” Read More: With no Crosby, Penguins may decide to pass on making a deadline deal

Ryan Ma – DobberHockey.com -” Taylor Pyattcould potentially draw some interest. His 115 HITs is currently ranked 41st amongst all forwards and his 41-games of playoff experience could also come in handy for a team looking for a veteran presence in the locker room. He’s presently being under-used at the moment while averaging just 12:13 per contest for the Yotes, a warning sign that he might be finding a new home on Feb 27th. Potential destination: Tampa Bay, Florida or Pittsburgh(?) could make sense.”

Ryan Ma – DobberHockey.com -“..it could result in one of their well-known, veteran blue-liners, Michal Rozsivalor Adrian Aucoin, being moved at the deadline. Aucoin would draw a bit more interest since he contributes in a variety of categories (points, SOG, HITs and BS), but he would also command more of a return as well. Rozsival would probably be a more affordable option for potential suitors to poach. Potential destination: Washington, Winnipeg, Islanders or Pittsburgh could make sense.” Read More: Movers and Shakers Part Three (West 2012)

*Krundles Thoughts: Seriously don’t know why the Penguins who are overloaded with defensemen would need/want another.

Eklund – HockeyBuzz.com – The big question mark with Mason may be Sidney Crosby’s health. If Sidney isn’t coming back (and he is hopeful and skating now) the Penguins could turn and trade for Mason Raymond and he would be a fantastic fit. I believe Mason Raymond is also one of the most underrated possibilities of the deadline.

—————- February 20th, 2012

Dejan Kovacevic –TRIBUNE REVIEW – “As Shero suggested, another sniper would be welcome. Maybe even an older one, a la Gary Roberts or Bill Guerin. But I don’t want to see another Alexei Ponikarovsky or Kovalev — or anyone named Alexei, really — added to sour things. Oh, and there isn’t much on the rental market, either.” Read more:Kovacevic: Penguins’ answers within

*Krundles Thoughts: Nikolai Kulemin a 6ft 1″ winger who scored 30 goals last year for the Maple Leafs, who was born and raised in the same town as Evgeni Malkin and played on the same Metallurg Magnitogorsk team with Malkin for four years is rumored to be available. Kulemin is struggling this year with only 6 goals and is a Restricted Free Agent at the end of the season. Here is what the Sporting News said “The Maple Leafs’ Nikolai Kulemin is a fine example. The Russian was a 30-goal scorer a season ago, but his future in Toronto is clouded by the fact he will be due for a raise from his current $2.35 million cap hit on a team that already has $51.2 million committed to 16 players next season and needs significant upgrades to contend for a Cup” The Penguins would have to move someone to free up some cap space, but this guy could be the answer to the big scoring winger the Pens need.

This is not a rumor: Ray Shero announced today the Penguins have signed forward James Neal to a 6 year contract extension set to begin with the 2012/2013 season. Neal, who was due to become a Restricted Free Agent on July 1st had just scored his 30th goal of the season yesterday in Pittsburgh’s 6 – 4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. This will keep Neal locked up with the Penguins through the 2017/2018 season at an annual salary cap hit of $5 million per season, a very favorable cap hit considering the goal scoring tear that he is on this year.

—————- February 18th, 2012

Ryan Ma – DobberHockey.com -“The Stars currently have seven rostered blue-liners which could lead to Sheldon Souray being moved at the deadline. His current stat-line of 18 points, a plus 11 rating, 59 PIMs and 132 SOG, isn’t all that impressive, but there is a latent offensive side to his game which most GMs are well aware of and could be willing to gamble for the playoffs. Potential destination: Washington, Florida or Pittsburgh(?) could make sense.” also “The main drawback has always been Hemsky’s band-aid boy status, but could teams overlook that fact and snag themselves a bargain? Potential destination: Pittsburgh (they moved Alex Goligoski for James Neal and Matt Niskanen last campaign), could they do something like Hemsky + Cam Barker for Simon Depres and a draft pick? ”

Shelly Anderson – POST-GAZETTE – “The NHL trade deadline is nine days away, and there are less than six weeks in the Penguins’ regular season after that. It might be easier for general manager Ray Shero and his staff to know what moves, if any, to pursue if he had an idea whether center and captain Sidney Crosby might be back in the lineup before the playoffs. – Read More: “Crosby’s status creates trade-deadline problem for Penguins”

Scott Cullen – TSN.com – The wildcard for the Eastern Conference may be the Pittsburgh Penguins. If they know they will have Sidney Crosby available, the Penguins are likely Cup contenders and can make the kind of move that might put them over the hump. If Crosby’s status is uncertain, however, then the Penguins may need to be more ambitious in their attempts to provide additional help for Evgeni Malkin and company.

—————- February 16th, 2012

Dejan Kovacevic –TRIBUNE REVIEW – “And let’s tackle (Rick) Nash as long as we’re in mythbusting mode here: The Blue Jackets want a package of elite young players/prospects for Nash. Scott Howson, the bright young GM in Columbus, is hoping to use Nash as a leaping-off point for a different generation of Jackets after this one has done nothing for a decade. Jordan Staal isn’t in that age group. Neither are about 99 percent of the names I’ve seen floated regarding Nash.”

Hooks Orpik – Pensburgh – Canadiens – Travis Moen – “Potential, suggested reasonable trade: middle level prospect and/or a pick
Why it could happen: Classic UFA-to-be on a team not making the playoffs. Unlike Hemsky, Moen’s physical style seems more fit for the Penguins in terms of his attitude on the ice and the way he plays the game. Why it couldn’t happen: Moen, while a physical player and a playoff-type performer (remember his 7 goals and 12 points in Anaheim’s 2007 Cup run?) only has 52 goals in 572 career games. The Penguins have a bevy of checking line wingers and with a finite amount of space under the salary cap, are they really going to use it to acquire another non-descript, hard-working winger with a lack of scoring touch? (On second thought, maybe this rationale should go on the “why it will happen line”).” Hooks also mentions Ryan Malone, Ales Hemsley, David Jones & Rick Nash – Read More: “Trade Deadline: Possible Targets for Pittsburgh (forwards edition)”

—————- February 15th, 2012

John Yohe – TRIBUNE REVIEW – “The well-documented struggles of defenseman Paul Martin have led many around the NHL to believe the Penguins will seek a top-four defenseman before the Feb. 27 trade deadline.”

Brian Metzer – From The Point – “At the end of the day, (David) Jones could make a lot of sense for both sides. The Avs could get a draft pick or player such as Eric Tangradi, while the Penguins get themselves a big forward with touch, who provides depth for the playoffs. They could also sign Jones to a cap friendly contract if they so choose to after his stretch run/playoffs audition. If not, Jones can walk and no one is really losing anything in the deal. It is a vintage low risk, high reward trade that could pay off in spades if it were to come to pass. The final piece of evidence that has my eyes trained on this situation is the fact that the Avalanche were scouting the Penguins games over the weekend. Does it mean anything? Maybe, maybe not… but it is certainly something to think about as we barrel towards the deadline.” Read More: “Penguins’ Trade Deadline Speculation:

Corey Masiak – NHL.com – “Which GMs have proven they aren’t afraid to make a bold move? Speaking of Kaberle, Boston GM Peter Chiarelli certainly fits here. He made three significant moves before the deadline last year, and once traded his top young player (Phil Kessel). Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero has made several moves in the past five years to help the Penguins, and adding James Neal for Alex Goligoski last season was bold.”

—————- February 12th, 2012

PenguinPoop Staff writer Rick Buker > “I propose that Pens general manager Ray Shero package reserve defensemanBen Lovejoy and prospectEric Tangradi to the Lightning for right wingSteve Downie. If he could wrangle a mid-round draft pick out of Bolts GM Steve Yzerman, that’d be great. The trade would make sense for both teams. The Lightning (7-1-2 in their last 10 games) still harbor hopes of making the playoffs. Yet it’s no secret they have one of the weakest defensive corps in the league. Lovejoy would give the Bolts what they so desperately need.”

Jonathan Bombulie – TRIBUNE-REVIEW – When Eric Tangradi was a late scratch for a Feb. 3 Baby Pens game, Internet speculation ran rampant that he was about to be traded. As it turns out, there was a reasonable explanation for his absence — he suffered back spasms earlier in the day — but Tangradi has resigned himself to the fact that such talk will probably continue until the NHL’s trade deadline Feb. 27. “It seems like every deadline comes around, I see my name being thrown around somewhere,” Tangradi said. “It’s something I’ve gotten used to. I’m a third-year pro. I’ve seen all angles. It’s just another day at the office for me.”

Kevin Allen – USA TODAY – If injured Sidney Crosby can come back, it would have a larger impact than any deal any team will make. The question: Can he come back this season?

*Krundle’s Thoughts: It is simple math, just like last year. If the Penguins make a move for a player (last year it was Kovalev) with a high salary without giving up a even salary then they know that Crosby will not be back at least until the playoffs start. My personalguess is that Crosby will be back with 10 games remaining in the season.

—————- February 1st, 2012

This is not a rumor: The Penguins picked up 25 year old 6′ Center Cal O’Reilly off waivers from Phoenix. His cap hit is $375,000. O’Reilly was originally drafted by Penguins GM Ray Shero back when Shero worked for the Nashville Predators. It is unknown where O’Reilly fits into the Pens lineup, but this could be a pre-cursor to more moves by Ray Shero. O’Reily has 13 goals and 40 points in 107 games and does not have any NHL playoff experience.

Eklund @ HockeyBuzz – “Ray Whitney to Nashville continues to persist, and I will continue to say what a perfect fit he would be for the Preds. Yesterday I was also told Hitchcock likes him in St. Louis as well. The Pens are also part of this.”

—————- January 30th, 2012

Scott Cullen – TSN.COM – “The wild card for the Eastern Conference may be the Pittsburgh Penguins. If they know they will have Sidney Crosby available, the Penguins are likely Cup contenders and can make the kind of move that might put them over the hump.” “Pittsburgh should at least upgrade their secondary scoring. Even once Jordan Staal returns to the lineup, Malkin, James Neal and Chris Kunitz could use additional support if the Penguins are going to make serious noise in the postseason. ”

—————- January 21st, 2012

OTTAWA SUN – “Montreal D Hal Gillwill be a hot commodity once the Habs decide to start unloading. The Flyers, Penguins, Panthers and Senators all have interest. Don’t be surprised if Pittsburgh brings back Gill; the Penguins never wanted to lose him to free agency weeks after he helped them win the Cup in 2009″

OTTAWA SUN – “The Penguins have more than a passing interest in Tampa’s Dominic Moore. They aren’t the only team, either.”

—————- January 14th, 2012

DOBBERHOCKEY.COM – “It is a question of when, and not if, Ales Hemskyis traded. Do the Kings and Oilers put the Smyth saga behind them and hash a deal out here? Pittsburgh would definitely have some interest, as well.”

Here is the original article:

Here we go again, the trade rumors are circling and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been brought up again over and over mostly mentioning the Penguins picking up rental players. The NHL trade deadline is February 27, 2012 and I’m sure if this is anything like last year, Penguins GM Ray Shero is hard at work on a game plan.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have only a couple hundred thousand in cap space but they make up for that in Long Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) cash. My estimates, and this all depends on if Sidney Crosby returns before the playoffs. If he doesn’t, by trade deadline day Ray Shero could have about $6 million to play with in cap space. If he does return they have only about 1 million in cap, and Shero likes to keep that for his “emergency funds”

The problem for the Penguins is that the Money is almost all coming from LTIR cash. This is money derived from players who still need to be paid but are not playing. Last year the Penguins were allowed to spend over the cap limit the same way because of injuries and ended up losing money, according to Forbes Magazine, even though they sold out every game. Most likely because they did not make it to the second round of the playoffs.

The big question is: Will Penguins owners Mario Lemieux & Ronald Burkle want to do that again this year?

Last year we did a page the same way and Goligoski’s name was mentioned, Kovalev and a few others, but at the same time James Neal’s name never came up by any of the big trade rumor people out there.

A few names have been tossed around again this year. Player like Teemu Selanne who I don’t believe will leave the Ducks, Ales Hemsky from the Oilers, ex-Penguin Hal Gill and a bunch more. I think Philadelphia is going to make a bigger run at Hal Gill to replace Chris Pronger than the Pens ever will. Especially since we have more defensemen than we know what to do with.

Speaking of defensemen. With the emergence of Simon Després a Penguins defenseman or two could be going. I know everyone is looking to unload Martin’s salary, but look at the Penguins shots against totals when we have all are defense. The guy is logging the most time and is doing what he was brought in for. Spector’s Hockey said this on January 19th : “Some Pittsburgh fans and pundits have called for Martin to be shopped, but if he continues his improvement in the coming weeks, he’ll become too valuable to move”

Penguins fans are also looking to ship out Steve Sullivan and that cracks me up. Sullivan is quarterbacking the powerplay and has it running better than its been years. The only way the Penguins should get rid of Sullivan is if they know Crosby is coming back this season. Throw Crosby on the point on the power play. The guy can run it from there and he will have a less chance of getting injured in front of the net.

What Shero most likely will be looking for once again will be a rough and tumble winger for Crosby’s line that can put the puck in the net. Will he sacrifice a player or two to do it. Yes he will. It could be Kennedy, Cooke, Dupuis, who knows, it would depend on how good a player he can get. ex-Penguin Dominic Moore from Tampa has been mentioned.

How it will all shape up we have no idea. It’s going to be a fun ride once again. It always is. We try to pick at least semi-respected sources, but don’t always succeed and as we said up above, we will update this list as is needed:

Nash is available to go to teams he decides because of his no trade clause. How about Rick Nash for Jordan Staal and Martin or Michalek? Crosby & Nash have great chemistry and they proved it in the Olympics. Staal is overated. Malkin/Neal/Kunitz – Crosby/Nash/Dupuis it would be the best lineup in the league. In 2010 people were looking to trade Malkin for Nash straight up – google it.

The crap like Carter sleeping with Hartnell’s wife is just that, CRAP. Someone was sleeping with Hartnell’s wife, but it was neither Carter nor Richards. Carter, on the other hand, was doing something even worse, and for that reason, I would not want him on our team

Martin, Michalek and for that matter Orpik all have limited no trade clauses probably meaning they picked a few teams they could be moved to. So they are most likely staying. Letang & Despres will be staying. That leaves Niskanen, Lovejoy & Engelland. I think odd man out is Niskanen just because Lovejoy wont bring anything on the market and Engelland’s fighting brings to much to the team. I think Shero will try to move Tangradi also.